Article written by Blog Post Contributor Lucy
What is a Vision Board?
A vision board is a tool that we can create to help us bring clarity to our desires. It is simply a collage based on focused images and words that represent our goals. I like to think of this as a visual life plan.
Visualization is powerful for success because our brain thinks in pictures. When we close our eyes and think of an object, we do not see the word physically spelled out. Immediately, our minds will go to an image. This is the same with dreaming. Our dreams are in pictures, not in words.
We can verbalize that we desire something. For instance, stating that you want a new car and leaving it at that is not very specific. Not having a specific image attached is essentially just a "word".
When you know exactly what year, make, model, color, and price the vehicle is; you get more of a taste and image of how you will feel owning it, what you may look like as you drive it. It also gives you an idea of exactly what you will have to do to get into that vehicle. When you take a few moments to plot out your desires, you can have a stronger clarity and focus toward what it is you wish to achieve.
How to Make a Vision Board
To make a vision board sit down for a few moments and brainstorm about what it is you want to create in the next 3,6,9 or 12 months. You can even look ahead five years or so. Be very specific and ask yourself questions. What am I known for? What is my purpose? How is my spirituality/faith? What do my relationships/family circumstances look like? What am I doing in career/business? How are my finances?
Then take a collection of old magazines and photos and leaf through them tearing out words, phrases, and images that resonate with you and answer the above questions. Find brands, magazines, and photos that you admire. If you have negative self-talk, pasting words that affirm a positive thought can also be helpful.
I like to do this in a relaxed, creative state. Try not to overthink it or stress about what is right or wrong. Just go with the flow and pick out things that look, feel, and sound right to you in the present moment. Gather quite a large stack, sort through a second time, and this time organize and cut out nicely.
Start gluing your cutouts on a piece of paper or poster board. I have a yearly planner that has a dedicated space for this in the beginning pages, and it is my tradition to sit, reflect, and plan out the year on those pages. I also make individual boards throughout the year when I need a refresher or know something new is on the horizon.
How to Use your Vision Board
After your board is made, put it in a place that you will see it. You do not want it sitting under a stack of papers, collecting dust! Look at it daily and focus your mind on the images.
Doing this exercise of staying focused on your vision can help you plan out your action steps. As you plan and take steps toward your goals, having the visual images clear in your mind can help you retain your vision, stick to your purpose, and help you recognize and utilize things from your vision as they arrive.
It is powerful to give energy toward your personal growth. Staying focused and clear on what you are working toward can really transform thinking and release some of our actions that often hold us back. The brilliant thing about a vision board is when you come back to it in half a year and see that you've already checked most of the images off your list without even thinking about it!
Lucy blog owner of #IntegratedMamma